


i think i've seen this film before

by bosielights



Category: Happiest Season (2020)
Genre: F/F, Friends With Benefits, Sloane is so intense and Riley is obviously super into it, They Are Idiots, big surprise there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:28:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28496091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bosielights/pseuds/bosielights
Summary: Riley and Sloane pretending they don't have feelings for each other.
Relationships: Sloane Caldwell/Riley Johnson
Comments: 9
Kudos: 96





	1. Chapter 1

“Ow! Ow. Ow.” Riley flinches as Sloane continues dabbing antiseptic on her cheek.

“Quit being such a baby. How did this even happen in the first place? We’re at a goddamn bridal shower.”

“…I fell.”

Sloane stops her ministrations for a moment to give Riley an unimpressed look.

“Sure. You know for a doctor, you’re really not good at coming up with plausible excuses for what are very clearly not fall-related injuries.”

Riley continues to curse under her breath as alcohol enters the cut.

The truth was that she did fall – kind of. But only after getting clocked solidly in the face by the designer purse of some girl who was shit talking Sloane for getting a divorce. She had honestly not seen it coming – hence the fall. She had just been kindly asking Jennifer(?) about her fiancée’s health, given that a hairbrush had been stuck so far up his ass that he had showed up at the ER two days earlier. Jennifer had turned a surprising shade of red before taking a violent swing. Riley had been too busy taking a sip of her drink; otherwise, she’d like to think that her reflexes would’ve prevented her current injuries.

Whatever. It was worth it. Even though she still couldn’t figure out quite what had made her say anything in the first place. It’s not like Sloane gave a shit about Riley anymore.

Sloane had been inside talking to the caterers when it happened, but it hadn’t taken long to put two and two together as she watched Jennifer storm out.

Sloane continues, “Maybe next time, don’t provoke the girl who was suspended for trying to literally claw some girl’s face off in 11th grade.”

“Ohh, right. Poor Emma, I heard she had to get stitches.”

Silence falls as Sloane finishes dabbing on some Neosporin and placing a small butterfly bandage over the cut. Riley takes the moment to let her eyes roam over Sloane’s face – sharp cheekbones, intensely blue eyes, brows drawn together in focus. Her gaze falls to Sloane’s lips, which are slightly parted, tongue poking out the corner like it always does when she’s concentrating. Riley starts when Sloane breaks the silence.

“What? Do I have something on my face?”

Riley’s eyes flit up. Fuck. Sloane was standing back (when had she finished?) and Riley was staring.

“Um. Nothing. Thanks for patching me up.”

“Oh. You’re welcome.”

Riley looks down at where Sloane still stands between her legs, trapping her where she sits on the bathroom counter.

Riley clears her throat loudly, “Well, I’m just going to go.”

Sloane’s eyes widen as she immediately takes a step backwards, “Right. Get back to the party. I’ll clean up here.”

The momentary awkwardness passes as Sloane’s usual mask slips over her face. A look uniquely Sloane - fake pleasantness that was somehow cold, intense, and bitchy at the same time. Riley wondered if Sloane ever got tired of putting up such a strong front to the world all the time, keeping everyone she met an arm’s length away. It only ever made Riley curious, an inexplicable desire to break through Sloane’s walls and see the real person underneath. The more mischievous side of her brain also couldn’t help but notice how wound up Sloane was, couldn’t help but want to see how hard she could rile her up before unraveling her. In more ways than one.

That really wasn’t going to happen anymore though, so Riley hops down from the counter, ignoring her instincts to try to stall and spend a few more moments alone with Sloane. But as Riley reaches the door, Sloane’s voice stops her.

“Abby told me you were standing up for me. Thank you.”

Riley hesitates for a moment before turning around. She leans against the door, looking everywhere but at Sloane. “Who said I was standing up for you? Maybe I was just craving a little excitement today. You have to admit it was a pretty boring party before I showed up.”

Sloane rolls her eyes. “You’re such an idiot, Bennett.”

Riley finally looks at Sloane. “Yeah. But you like that about me.”

“Says who?”

“Says you. I think you once fondly called me your shit-for-brains, socially inept, ever-loving dumbass idiot of a doctor. But I’m paraphrasing.”

Sloane looks like she’s trying to suppress a smile. “That was before. You know when we were…” Sloane waves a hand vaguely.

Riley grins. “Oh, you mean when we were having sex? You mean that before?”

Sloane’s glaring at her now but the smile is breaking through. God, she’s so fucking intense, and Riley is so stupidly into it.

She takes a step towards Sloane. “You know now that I think about it, I can’t really remember why we ever stopped.”

Sloane eyes Riley warily. “You know why.”

Riley keeps walking towards her, “Yeah, yeah, something about caring what other people think, something about being busy – mostly a bunch of excuses that don’t really matter.” Riley finally stops in front of Sloane, looking thoughtful for a moment. But instead of more teasing, she says,

“Seriously Sloane, I don’t care about our past. I stood up for you because despite the fact that you always try to pretend that you hate me, you’re my favorite person at this stupid party and I care about you. And also, Jennifer is super annoying.”

Sloane just stares at Riley, an unreadable expression on her face. Enough seconds pass in silence that Riley’s starting to feel a bit awkward but there's also a piece of hair stuck to Sloane’s lipstick. Without thinking she’s closing the last bit of distance between them and gently brushing the hair aside.

Whatever Sloane was about to say gets caught in her throat at Riley’s sudden proximity. Sloane knows it’s ridiculous, but she also can’t help it. It’s been at least six months since she’s been this close to Riley and it’s so, _so_ much worse because she already _knows_ what it feels like to have Riley against her, hands pulling on her hair; the sound Riley makes when Sloane moves her fingers _just_ so.

“We should probably-“ Riley is saying, but before she can finish the thought, Sloane is grabbing the lapels of that stupid blazer and yanking her down for a kiss.

Riley is frozen for a beat too long as Sloane kisses Riley hard. But then Sloane scrapes blunt nails across the back of Riley’s neck and Riley’s making a noise in the back of her throat that’s always made Sloane’s legs go weak. Riley cups the back of her head as she walks Sloane back into the counter. The move forces Riley’s body flush against her own and it feels so _good_ , she has no idea how she was able to give it up the first time. Sloane lets out a muffled moan against Riley’s mouth as Riley’s thigh comes into contact with the apex of her thighs, and Riley presses her into the counter even harder as she licks into Sloane’s mouth.

Riley picks Sloane up to place her on the counter, fingers clenching against the skin of her thighs in a way that radiates _want_. But what started out as heated and fast begins to slow into a hot smolder, and it only makes Sloane ten times more desperate. She wants closer, harder, faster, _anything_ , just more of Riley. But Riley’s taking her sweet time, one hand cupping the nape of Sloane's neck possessively while the other traces slow circles around her hipbone beneath her dress. When she sucks on that one the spot below her jaw, Sloane can’t stop the desperate whine that escapes her mouth.

“Sloane,” Riley breathes into her neck.

“Mm?” Sloane hums, distracted.

“We should probably stop. We shouldn’t do this here.”

Sloane freezes, the fact that she had practically thrown herself at Riley hitting her all at once.

“Yeah. Yes, of course.”

Sloane pulls back and forces herself to place her hands on the counter. But Riley simply lets her hands slide down to Sloane’s thighs, staying close enough that they’re still breathing the same air.

Riley looks wrecked, her brown eyes blown out with desire, lips red and swollen. She’s still staring at Sloane’s lips.

 _Fuck_. She wants to be devoured by Riley Bennett, in this bathroom, right here, right now, and she doesn’t give a fuck who catches them.

“Riley?”

“Yeah?” Riley’s hands are sliding higher up Sloane’s thighs.

“We’re stopping?”

“Yeah.”

Riley finally meets her gaze as her thumbs start drawing small circles so close to where Sloane wants to be touched that her head falls back as she lets out a frustrated whimper.

“Riley, this doesn’t feel like stopping.”

For a few heart-stopping moments, Riley doesn’t say anything, and Sloane hangs in a limbo of the sweetest torture. Riley’s teeth scrape along Sloane’s throat.

Then suddenly Riley pulls away, and Sloane feels such a strong pang of disappointment it almost overpowers the sharp tang of arousal still clogging her throat.

But instead of hearing the door slamming, Sloane opens her eyes to the sound of the bathroom door locking. Then Riley's striding towards her and pulling her into the filthiest kiss yet, and all thoughts of stopping fly out the window. Riley hooks her hands behind Sloane’s knees and _yanks_ her to the edge of the counter as she draws Sloane’s bottom lip between her teeth.

“I changed my mind,” Riley breathes against her lips.

...TBC


	2. Chapter 2

\-----Riley’s POV.-----

Riley finally gets the buttons of Sloane’s dress undone, and lets her fingers trail up and over Sloane’s ribs, marveling for the hundredth time at how someone’s skin could be as soft as Sloane's. She can’t help but run her hands higher, until her thumb is brushing just under Sloane’s bra. Sloane seems to have lost any patience for slow and tender though, and yanks Riley’s shirt out of her pants to draw nails down her abs as Riley groans in response.

As cold and cruel as Sloane could be, Riley’s never met someone who’s so physically _soft_ under her touch. Sloane’s lips are pliant and open under Riley’s and when Riley finally opens the front clasp of Sloane’s bra, hands massaging the flesh underneath, Sloane positively melts under the attention.

Riley begins softly tracing over the front of Sloane’s underwear, circling and massaging just above where she knows Sloane really wants her. Riley can feel the heat coming off her skin even through the thin cotton of Sloane’s underwear, and Sloane makes a pathetic noise in the back of her throat as they kiss.

And then Riley dips her fingers below Sloane’s underwear and into the wet heat of Sloane’s cunt, just teasing the entrance.

“ _Fuck_ Sloane, you’re so wet.”

“God Riley, just hurry up and fuck me.” Sloane tries to sound commanding, but the statement ends in more of a desperate whine than anything else.

They’re not really kissing anymore, just breathing into each other’s space, and Riley’s eyes are locked on Sloane. Riley gathers some wetness on her fingers and drags them up to circle Sloane’s clit at the exact moment she pinches Sloane's nipple.

“Riley fuck!” Sloane gasps into Riley’s neck as her head falls to Riley’s shoulder.

Riley’s begins finding her rhythm, a slow excruciating build that she’s used time and again to drive Sloane to the absolute brink.

“Inside Riley, _please_.”

“Wow, was that a please I heard? Didn’t you once tell me begging was beneath you?”

“Riley, I swear to god if you don’t fuck me right this second, I’m going to-“

Riley drives two long fingers into Sloane.

“ _Ah!”_

“You were saying?”

But Sloane can’t respond, as Riley drives into that one spot inside her with laser-like precision again and again. There’s not much more talking after that.

…

“This is the last time.”

Sloane’s movements halt for a half a second, then resume, expression cooling immediately. Her hands smooth down her wrinkled clothes and hair. If she still looks like she’s been thoroughly ravished on a bathroom counter for the past hour, Riley tries not to notice.

“Absolutely. That is the adult thing to do.”

Riley waits for Sloane to ask why, but the silence stretches on and it becomes obvious that she won’t. Fine then, Riley’s not going to give in to the temptation to explain. Except-

“It’s not that I wouldn’t want to do this indefinitely, because I do. I mean, as long as you do-“ Riley can’t remember the last time a girl actually made her stutter over her own words. “I just. Met someone. I actually really like her and I kind of want to see where it goes.” Her name was Nadia. She was another resident in her program, surprisingly enough.

Riley can tell that whatever Sloane had been expecting, that had not been it. For the second time in as many minutes Sloane looks mildly shocked and it’s kind of disconcerting on someone she’s always known to appear composed in the face of anything.

“Oh. Well, good for you, Bennett. Whoever she is I’m sure she’s a lovely girl.” Sloane is doing this closed mouth smiling thing that doesn’t reach her eyes, and Riley can’t help but think it’s so unlike her usual smile.

Suddenly, she’s transported to 7 months ago, and Riley’s in Sloane’s bed half wrestling, half tickling Sloane to get to the remote. She sees Sloane’s carefree, shrieking laughter so vividly in her mind, it’s like it’s been slowed down in the highlight reel of her memory just so every detail can be captured more fully – Sloane’s eyes crinkled in laughter, soft sheets between them, late morning sun streaming into the bedroom. And for a moment, the swirl of complex and confusing emotions rising in her are replaced solely by the desire to see that laugher, Sloane’s real smile, just one more time.

But then she’s brought back to this moment, and she remembers who Sloane is, and more importantly who _she_ is. Riley Bennett, M.D., chief resident, great with kids, and hopelessly in love with one Sloane Caldwell who is assuredly _not_ in love with her back.

Riley shoves her hands into her pockets, staring at Sloane as she turns to finish fixing her makeup. Their eyes meet in the mirror. Fuck it.

“Sloane have you ever thought about us?”

“What about us?”

“Us together. Like dating.”

“Did you not just ten seconds ago say that you were interested in another girl?”

“Yeah, but humor me. We’re not completely naive. We both know that half the time friends with benefits can get more complicated. You can’t tell me you’ve never even thought about it.”

“Have you?”

“Yeah, Sloane. All the time. I picture our house, the dog, two graves side by side.”

Sloane rolls her eyes. Riley knows that most of the time her deadpan tone doesn’t let on whether she’s joking or not but for once it’s in her favor. She wasn’t joking in the slightest. Well, maybe a little. The graves are a lot.

The silence stretches on and Riley thinks Sloane’s not going to answer at all but then she snaps her lipstick shut and speaks quietly into the sink.

“No. I don’t think about it.”

“Oh. Yeah. I figured.”

Riley wonders why it suddenly feels as if her chest is deflating like one of those sad balloons four days after the end of the birthday party. The fact that she isn’t surprised at all doesn’t seem to make her feel any less pathetic.

“I mean, I get it. We’ve known each other for more than like 2 decades at this point, and we still barely know anything about each other. Probably says something right? I mean, I don’t even know your birthday.”

Riley trails off. She really can’t seem to keep the unnecessarily rambling under control today.

“I know yours. October 12.” Riley looks up at that and sees Sloane quickly glance away in the mirror, jaw clenched like she didn’t mean to let that slip.

Riley’s chest inflates a little.

“Oh well that’s not fair. We just happened to be together when my whole family decided to wake me up at the crack of dawn to sing me happy birthday over facetime.”

“I remember. I believe I also recall your little sister asking what happened to your neck.”

“Oh my god, she’s such a little shit. I’m going to get back at her for that.”

But they’re both grinning at the memory now. They had been sleeping in after a night of… activity and Riley had forgotten it was her own birthday until she had been rudely awakened by her phone vibrating so hard it had fallen off the nightstand. She had unceremoniously shoved Sloane out of bed as she pulled on a random hoodie from the floor. When Riley had finally ended the thoroughly embarrassing call, she had expected Sloane to have been supremely annoyed or simply gone, but instead she had just smiled softly at Riley from where she still sat on floor and said, “your family’s cute.”

Sloane puts her lipstick away and Riley combs through her hair one more time as they once again regain presentable non-sexed appearances. There’s nothing left to do but leave.

“You can go ahead, I’ll make sure to wait five minutes before leaving.”

“Oh no, I can wait, you should get back to the party. I’m sure Harper is looking all over for you.”

“Okay,” Sloane says softly, but doesn’t make to leave.

Sloane walks up to Riley and even in her heels she tiptoes a little to plant a soft kiss right above the bandage she had applied earlier over Riley’s cut. Riley had almost forgotten it was there, the reason they had come in here in the first place.

“Thank you,” Sloane whispers as she comes down.

“For the orgasms? Anytime.”

Sloane rolls her eyes a little but doesn’t take the bait. “No," she says quietly, absentmindedly fixing Riley's collar. "Just for being you.”

It’s really nothing at all and yet Riley doesn't know what to say. Sloane simply turns to leave and-

Nope. Screw this.

Riley’s grabbing Sloane’s wrist before she’s even made it two steps away, spinning her into her arms, and Sloane stumbles a little bit in her heels as Riley pulls her into a kiss. The kind of kiss that’s definitely not appropriate for just a hook up buddy, but Riley doesn’t care. She stopped caring a long time ago.

Riley has one hand at her jaw, fingers in the hair Sloane just spent the past 20 minutes fixing, and the other at the base of Sloane’s throat, thumb stroking softly over her neck. This kiss is different from the ones that came before, lips sliding carefully over each other with soft and building pressure. Riley feels all the little hairs on her arms stand on end and her fingers clench involuntary. Sloane lets out a little gasp against her lips when it causes Riley’s thumb to press down on Sloane’s pulse point. The stay like that for a only a few more heart-stopping moments, but to Riley each second passes like its own eternity.

But then Sloane’s breaking the kiss, pulling Riley’s wrists off of her, and whirling around to leave without another word, one hand pressed over her the mouth as she walks out.

Riley feels the bathroom door slam somewhere below her ribs.

And now they’re back to pretending the other doesn’t exist, floating in and out of conversation with groups on opposite sides of the party, making concerted effort not to look over at the other. Riley doesn’t need to look though, she can already picture Sloane, barely feigning polite interest (she never really cared if people thought she came off as curt or rude), interjecting with her overly extensive vocabulary to concisely correct people’s ignorant political views.

Meanwhile, Riley tries her best to restrain the urge to bash her head into the nearest wall. Look, she’s not a complete idiot, she knows Sloane cares about her. Or at least, likes her to a certain extent. But mostly in a _my little sister’s ex-friend is hot and has a tolerable personality_ type of way. An _I will begrudgingly laugh at her jokes because she just gave me five orgasms_ type of way. If she’s being really generous, in a friend type of way. But what Riley also knows is that unlike what all the Mike Schur shows might teach, pining over the girl you have feelings for forever is not the healthy way to handle things. So. Riley is moving on.

It’s a process. And she’s even laid out the steps.

Step one: convince yourself that it’s all just sexual attraction. Easy enough, Riley is insanely attracted to Sloane, so it’s not false perse.

Step two: remind yourself that you barely even know Sloane all that well anyway. There is a possibility that you would be terrible together if you actually dated. Sloane was uptight, and cold, and downright _mean_ to Riley ninety percent of the time they were together. (Note: revert back to step one when you remember that those traits mostly tend to turn you on more than anything).

Step three: forget all the good things you know about Sloane, everything that makes you want to be her friend, makes you want to get to know her better, makes you want to date her, marry her, and adopt cute kids with her. Forget the fact that she’s so incredibly compassionate beneath her hard exterior. The fact that she’s quick to laugh if you make her comfortable and the fact that she cries at the news sometimes and Good Will Hunting always, and tries to hide it. The fact that with how little she appears to care about Riley, Sloane seems to remember everything about her – her preferences, her moods, the things she mentions in casual conversation. Forget Sloane’s smile. The way she smells. The intensity in her gaze. How she doesn’t care about having a lot of friends but invests deeply in the ones she does have. The way she’s trying so hard to mend her relationships with her family. The sound she makes when Riley bites her ear. The mole behind said ear. How impatient she gets when Riley rewinds The West Wing because she missed the dialogue the first time, but still lets her do it anyways. The way she’s an incredible mother.

Riley looks down at the list she’s compiled on her phone and groans inwardly.

_Oh my god, it’s hopeless. I just need to stop thinking any thoughts about Sloane forever and maybe I’ll actually have a grip on my sanity._

Riley goes to get another drink and wonders for the 17thtime in the past thirty minutes when would be the earliest acceptable time at which she could leave this stupid bridal shower party.

“Who are you texting? Secret lover by chance?”

Riley jumps as Abby appears over her shoulder trying to get a peak of her phone.

“What the hell dude! You scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry, I just couldn’t help but notice my groomswoman furiously texting in the corner instead of you know, enjoying the party. Also, you never text anyone.”

“That’s not true! I text…you”

“Don’t even. It takes you 3-5 business days to respond if I get any response at all.”

“I’m a doctor! It’s a busy life. Get off my dick.”

“I will if you tell me who you were texting.”

“Would you believe me if I told you I wasn’t texting anybody?”

“No.”

“Well, it’s true. I’m just making notes.”

“Oh. Well, I also just came over here to let you know that my friend Hannah over there has been eyeing you since about thirty minutes ago, and Harper always says I’m super oblivious but you like take it to another level dude. So. I just thought I’d come help my best buddy out.”

“Best buddy?”

“Yup, and no take backs.”

Riley lets her eyes wander briefly to where Abby had pointed (completely unsubtly she might add) and indeed, there’s a very pretty woman who ducks her head down as soon as Riley looks over but then lifts her gaze again to smile shyly at her. Riley also can’t help but glance over to where she knows Sloane is and for once, Sloane’s the one caught staring. She quickly averts her gaze though, pretending to be engaged in the group conversation.

_‘No. I don’t think about it’_ is playing on repeat in Riley’s head so before she can second guess herself, she’s taking a big gulp of the disgustingly sweet drink in her hand, clapping Abby on the shoulder, and walking over to Hannah.


End file.
